Those industrious chaps at DEME(A) have produced another cunning plan to reshape the Corp. The paper is being staffed for comment and should be filtering down the chain of command. Looking forward to the debate when this hits the streets at unit level, as it will impact on the majority of LADs and REME Bns.

Is this the plan of doing away with the HQ Bty/Coy/Sqn Fitter Section and Armr's, Metalsmiths etc. leaving the OC and ASM?
Heard about it, I await as ever with bated breath. Could it be good news and a stunningly elegant soloution to manning probs within the Corps? Or will it be an *ahem* "original" plan that will make me blow a gasket?

It would be radical, and quite economic too as you could ditch several layers of units/HQs and Corps HQs. I can see training being difficult unless all phase 1 was centralised and then Spec Trg took place seperately, much as we do now. The biggest losers would be the REME whose Officers couldn't command RLC sldrs, whereas most REME Units are ably led by ASMs and WOs, Officers walk around and sign stuff!

DEME(A) was in my vision and hearing distance less than 2 weeks ago talking all things REME as was the Corps ASM and there was no mention of another rebalance. Like 20 year old HP......possible a bad source?

If you all get fed up of being at 2nd line, transfer to RAEME. 1st line is still king here.

2nd line is a place that supports 1st line, no quibbling about who's job it is or what forms to fill in, job just gets done.
The blokes at 2nd line fix stuff too, they are not on exercise all the time or running LEAN lines, preparing for ECIs or painting bollards, they really work and enjoy it - honestly!.

The DEME(A) paper is titled âDeveloping ES to meet the demands of expeditionary opsâ and it is currently on AD level circulation. Whilst it has not been titled Rebalancing Round 2, it does have the same effect as it proposes a reduction in 1st line posts and an increase at 2nd line, along with a shake up of REME Bns and the creation of Off Platform Repair Coys.

Given the concern that the original Rebalancing prompted, I am not surprised that this latest plan is not being marketed as Round 2.

The DEME(A) paper is titled âDeveloping ES to meet the demands of expeditionary opsâ and it is currently on AD level circulation. Whilst it has not been titled Rebalancing Round 2, it does have the same effect as it proposes a reduction in 1st line posts and an increase at 2nd line, along with a shake up of REME Bns and the creation of Off Platform Repair Coys.

Can anyone in DEME(A) explain to me how ISTs are going to work in Helmand or somewhere similar? Surely for expeditionary operations you are trying to deliver logistic support (and that includes ES) up front. Unless I have missed something but the days of rigid boundaries between us and the bad guys are long gone. The 'three block' war and multi-dimensional nature of threat on current and most likely future ops make any further re-balancing non-sensical. Mind you, when did that stop anyone in DEME(A)...